Musings

Friday, March 29, 2013

Republicans, Conservative and Black

The Republican main stream elites have taken a beating in the last two presidential elections. Some are even saying they are rinos although a great businessman like Romney hardly fits that position. It is important for the survival of a prosperous nation that the next election, 2014, not favor democrats. If it does government spending will increase bringing this country closer to anarchy. Because blacks overwhelmingly vote democrat it is here that an important increase in votes for republicans can be gained. To that end, we are seeing many black conservatives entereing the struggle to swing some voters to the republican side.

Adam West, who lost his last congressional election, (perhaps by voter fraud) is coming on strong with a message for inner-city blacks reminding them that the democrat party has taken them for granted and not worked on their problems. Large cities, with a black inner-city center, are nearly all run by black, democrat mayors. Many ex-mayors are in jail for lining their pockets with public cash. West is saying that republicans have a better way

Back in 1983, under Reagan, the republicans started "Empowerment Zones" in black neighborhoods. The idea was to get the black comunity to prosper by helping to get them into the mainstream of the economy. When republicans lost power these zones withered away under democrat neglect. West is ready to bring them back again. (I lost a good secretary who went to work for one of those Empowerment Zones.) The Empowerment Zones were offically ended in 2011, democrats are not really motivated to work with businessmen in those zones.

West is not alone in supporting action on inner-city problems. Other blacks that call for action are: Star Parker, Herman Cain, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Michael Steele, Mia Love, Senator Tim Scott of S.C., Larry Elder, Dr. Benjamin Carson, AlfonZo Rachel and Charles Payne. These people serve as exemplars to black individuals in the inner-cities. The democratic weapon of "the politics of personal destruction" is being waged on all of them, some more severe than others.

Many others, who are non-black but serve minority intrests, such as: Michelle Malkin, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio and Governor Susana Martinez of N.M.. Help for the black community will only come if the Republicans come back into power. Democrats are satisfied with the status quo.

Monday, February 04, 2013

Existence I

While walking in my backyard in Green Cove Springs I came upon a fire-ant mound. It was not very high but the tell-tale brownish granules were in evidence for a four in diameter. A few days later it had grown to a five inch diameter and a little higher. I gave it a slight movement with my toe and immediately reveled hundreds of ants crawling around apparently without purpose. Returning the next day the mound showed no sign of the disturbance I had done. In fact, it was slightly bigger.

Home Depot sells fire-ant killer and, per instructions, I used this to ring the mound with poison. The next day an inspection of the mound revealed no ants. I kicked the mound with my toe and nothing moved. Using my foot, I slid a large portion of the mound over and again nothing moved. All the dirt was inert. I believe there might have been 20,000 ants in the mound and now they are all dead. I had extinguished the life of 20,000 individuals. One day they existed and the next they were no longer in existence.

For ants, existence is easy to come by. The female lays eggs, when they hatch nurse ants take care of them, fully grown the ants belong to a society that takes care of itself. Their life span is relatively short compared to humans.

What is it that happened to that egg to make a new ant? We are able to follow a fertilized egg in it's growing state as it"s cell divides, and more and more cells divide and continue dividing until an ant is formed. But what started that dividing process? Was it life? How is it transmitted to the cell? What is that life force that made an individual ant? Life appears to be easy to start and also easy to stop.

Using chicken eggs we are able to raise chicks to maturity. Once full grown, a chicken is caged and taken to a chicken plant where it is killed, de-feathered, eviscerated, cleaned, processed, packaged and eventually sold for human consumption. Each chicken had existence and lost it. What exactly was lost? Where did it go? Is existence merely chemical: a group of organized chemicals, amino acids getting mixed together and life happens?

The life force that animates chickens, the part that accrues to an egg and leaves when the chicken dies, can it be called a spirit? If it is spirit, where did it come from? Where does it go? We seem to understand the material world with it's growth, atrophy and eventual death. But what about the "soul" that accompanied it? What do we know about that?

Humans are a special life subject because we can think about the whole process of being born and dying while animals cannot. And thinking about the process leads us as to purpose. What is the purpose of life? Why is it all about us and we cannot answer some simple questions about it?

From this I take that we can know the physical world but do not know the spiritual world which is also all around us, perhaps even in us. Stay tuned for Existence II.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Small Bites

To those who love the taste of chocolate but, due to weight or other considerations, are constrained from eating chocolate, I have long ago proposed a method of eating chocolate that allows those sufferers to get the pleasure of that taste without the negative consequences. (Caveat: this method is not for those that desire to eat chocolate as a meal or until their stomach tells them that it is time to stop eating.) The secret is to take small bites. Obtain three M&Ms for this exercise. Hold one piece and take a one-third bite from it. Using the the front teeth crack the hard shell into small pieces. Using the tongue, spread the chocolate around in the mouth. Savor the chocolate flavor as it moves through the mouth and slowly dissolves. This is the flavor that chocolate lovers crave and now it is present. After the first bite has completely gone take another one-third bite and repeat the sequence. It will take about a minute and a half to eat each piece, four and a half minutes to eat all three pieces. It is possible to enjoy chocolate every single day with this method.

The feedback from this exercise has been discouraging. Many report that they just continue to consume more M&Ms, they cannot stop with just three. Some report that their method is better, placing about seven M&Ms in the mouth, crunching them down and then swallowing the mass, repeating this exercise over and over. The return to the basic habit of chocolate consumption does not conform to "eating your chocolate and having good health too."

It has been my habit recently to get a half cup of coffee and two Pecan Sandie cookies as an inter-meal treat. Remembering my method of eating M&Ms I experimented with eating only one cookie, taking smaller bites while sipping the coffee. I found the one cookie tastes just as good as it is savored with the coffee. Why do I need two? I don't. So, from now on it is only one cookie.

Last night as I watched a movie, a person in a bar was drinking the double Scotch he had ordered. He took it down in two gulps. When he did this my mouth fell open and I wondered why did he do that? What is the point of missing the actual flavor of the whisky? Of course I have seen similar bar scenes in other movies and you have also. This gulping is not restricted to a sudden need to leave the bar and finishing the drink. It is a method of drinking. I am still amazed when someone consumes a full glass of water in one tilt of the head. Many years ago, a friend showed me a trick he had mastered. He took a full bottle of beer, tilted his head back and slowly drank the whole bottle without stop. He said it was just a matter of relaxing his throat and pouring it directly into the stomach. It was a trick, but he did not do it as a habit.

I have been told that girls, when they go to a bar, will order one drink (they are expensive) and make it last the whole night. Or, until someone offers to buy them another drink. They are crafty.

My drink of choice is wine and I mostly like the taste. It is sipped, and in some circumstances one glass can last the whole night. While eating steak, a sip just of wine before eating a piece of meat will enhance the flavor of the meat. Gulping wine while eating is completely lost on me, it is the sipping that enhances the meal. Small bites of steak, small sips of wine, what could be better?

Saturday, January 05, 2013

AGENDA

There is a movie available that explains our present cultural, social, and religious situation and how we are impacted every day. It is not an easy movie as those that habitually watch movies usually expect. It is filled with philosophy, sociology, great movements in history, major thinkers and writers, and individually touches on the major isms of today. It is designed to draw a curtain back from the eyes so that it is possible to see what is indeed happening around us every day.

The movie is not for entertainment, it is not to while away the time, it is not for small minds, it requires a certain intellectualism, a personal maturity, an understanding of where you are in God's view. An understanding of American history helps but is not essential. It is my judgement that many young people will be wasting their time viewing this movie, and that is because the education they have received is inadequate to the task.

The movie "AGENDA", by Curtis Bowers is one and a half hours long, so time has to be set aside in order to watch it in it's entirety. Be prepared to expand your horizons.

Monday, December 31, 2012

What is Property?

Exactly what is property? Those who play the board game "Monopoly" understand it as a deed to property onto which can be built houses and hotels. Rent is charged to those that land on the property and the amount is determined by how much improvement was done to the property.

As a newsboy, I earned one-third of a cent for each daily paper I sold. I had to purchase the route from the previous newsboy because it was his property. Upon my purchase it became my property. If I increased the number of customers I serviced my income went up. My income became my property. I bought a bike with my earnings and it became my property.

When I began to work at the Ford Motor Company I received a salary for the work I did. That salary was my property. When I put the money into the bank the interest the money earned became my property. From the money in the bank, I bought a car and it became my property. I used some of my earnings to buy clothes, my property.

When it became time to buy a house a new wrinkle set in. I negotiated for a loan of someone else's property with which to buy a house. The title of the house became mine, by law, even though I owed a specified sum of money on it. It became my property but with a string attached.

When I buy food with the money from my salary, it is my food. If I stock a pantry in the house with food, it is my property. If I throw a party, supplied with beer and liquor, it is of my choosing to dispense some of my property to others.

All money that is saved is postponed consumption. When I made $1.10 per week selling papers, I would, after collection day, sometimes get a coke and small bag of potato chips just to reward myself. The rest went into the bank. There it stayed until I might have a need for it. It was there for me, as my property, until I wanted to consume. it.

There are some individuals in this society that have been able to acquire large amounts of property. Either they earned it or had it gifted through inheritance. These people have become pariahs in this Country. A majority of our citizens are willing, even demanding, that their property be taken away from them. Our President is one of those persons.

The founding fathers of this Country declared that all were created equal and are entitled by the Creator to life, liberty and property. The Fifth Amendment says that these cannot be taken away without due process. The taxes paid by individuals are indeed due process. However, when we hear that some people are not paying their "fair share", and it is said mostly by members of one political party, is the mere saying it as they do constitute "due process"?

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Broke

It is hard to believe that this country has accumulated a debt of 16 trillion dollars. Very few people have any concept of just what that means. Economists have tried to tell the population but their jargon tunes people out. Even our politicians, who are supposed to be our best and brightest, do not understand the danger to this country of such a large debt. They cannot get their heads around even one trillion. How can we expect the electorate to understand? They don't.

Most households have two contributors to the household income. If one of them ceases to contribute the household goes into debt; or, expenses are cut to generally meet the available income. Debt is available but it must be severely controlled because bankruptcy will come a knocking. Most households understand the problem of outspending their household income. When a household goes too far into debt there is personal bankruptcy, most people understand that. To take that understanding to a national level is beyond the average individual.

The numbers are too great, and besides, this Country has always had debt. Interest on the debt must be paid and for many years the interest was paid. Now, interest merely adds to the debt. We are adding to the debt without thought for the future. My new grand daughter Penny's personal share of the national debt was $227,000 at the time she was born. As I look at that small body I think, there is no way she will be able to pay that.

Yet, spending increases are expected every year. A large portion of our population is counting on it, yes, even demanding it. Even now the President is expecting to increase spending by 1.5 trillion. When does it stop? How does it stop?

Some say: "take it from the rich." There is not enough money there to keep this voracious government running for very long. The profits of the Fortune 500 richest companies come to 400 billion a year. If they are totally confiscated it will only run this country for 40 days. Yep, we are spending 10 billion a day. Also, there are 400 billionaires in this country and they have a net worth of 1.3 trillion. We spend 3.7 trillion a year. If all the billionaires money is taken from them it is easy to see that it will not cover our spending. The rich cannot get us out of this problem no matter how much we tax them.

How can we get the populace to understand this problem? Many are completely dependant upon the government and most believe that they do not get enough from the government. For them they do not want to hear this country is broke, and some do not care. Yet, politicians continue to promise more. We are broke, broke, broke. We must get this through to our politicians, but how?

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Pawn Stars

The History channel on TV was one of my favorites when it showed biographies of famous people. It fell out of favor for me when it began to show things that, to my mind, were not real history. And so I did not tune into it. Recently, I have rediscovered this channel because of it's show Pawn Stars. I find enjoyment in this simple show about a pawn shop in Las Vegus.

I remember the first pawn shop I ever entered, it was in downtown Detroit. We had ridden the Baker Streetcar to Griswold and from there walked to a series of small shops. That area today is covered by Cobo Hall. There must have been four pawn shops in that area and they were known to us as being owned by Jews. Whether that was true or not we really did not know, nor cared.

Five of us had come into the area to get shirts for our sandlot baseball team. One of the guys knew about this place where we would be able to get shirts for a good price. I was twelve years old at the time and had the position of first base on the team. We did not have a name for the team, but when we saw some cool shirts with a bulldog on them, we right then and there decided to buy the shirts and the name of our team became the Bulldogs. Having completed our purchases, we did some sight seeing in the area.

There was a pawn shop a few doors down from where we bought the shirts. In the display windows were displayed an assortment of jewelry, musical instruments, tools, typewriters, adding machines, coin collections and stamp collections. All of us entered and found it a strange, dark place. There were not as many display cases as found in most stores. Many items were hung on the wall, large items were strewn about on the floor. I particularly remember a race car in the back of the store. Three elderly people ran the store and they looked at us very suspiciously, we felt like crooks. The discomfort we felt soon overtook us and we left.

The pawn shop in Pawn Stars is well lit and inviting. The owner Rick is an amiable, good natured man. He is smiling most of the time and takes great interest in the items that people bring in. His knowledge about rare items and their history is astonishing. I like him. The show generally revolves around Rick, the items brought in, proof of value, how that proof is ascertained and the negotiation about the price. Many items are old and of interest to collectors. Age and condition affect the price paid. It is fascinating to me.

Pat cannot understand my interest, she sees only an offshoot of "The Road Show" and is not interested in that either. I do like "Road Show" but not nearly as much as Pawn Stars. Why is that? It may be the fact that these owners are ready to part with their treasure. For sure I am interested in the final established price that the item gets from the Pawn Shop. When an owner asks for a high price (and nearly all do) I am amused at how Rick brings them to reality and reminds them that he is in business to make a profit and must pay a lower price than the established retail price given by the expert. (Academics who teach that businesses should not make a profit should watch this show.) I challenge myself to estimate what price Rick will start the negotiation, it pleases me when I am close.

The main point for watching is the historical aspect of this show, and it is why it appears on the History Channel. Items that I have read about in many of the books I have read are continually showing up: Colt revolvers, civil war caps, WWII flying jackets with emblems, scales dating back to the 17th century, old coins, original Disney sketches, first edition comic books, a blunderbuss gun, old slot machines, old juke boxes, etc, etc. All are valued and most are purchased by the pawn shop for future sale. Nearly everything has a history an it's history is told in an informative manner. Yes, I like this show.